Monarch Butterflies in Heckscher State Park

 

At Heckscher State Park this morning, I saw swarms of migrating monarch butterflies. Many of them were making pit stops at the the fields of goldenrod that border the beach area of Parking Field 6.  While observing the many butterflies fueling up on goldenrod for their journey south, I was reminded of a poem which I think sums up the magic of autumn days.

Song of Early Autumn

(excerpt of a poem by Richard Watson Gilder )

When late in summer the streams run yellow,

—Burst the bridges and spread into bays;

When berries are black and peaches are mellow,

—And hills are hidden by rainy haze; 

When the goldenrod is golden still,

—But the heart of the sunflower is darker and sadder;

When the corn is in stacks on the slope of the hill,

—And slides o'er the path the stripèd adder;

When butterflies flutter from clover to thicket, 

—Or wave their wings on the drooping leaf;

When the breeze comes shrill with the call of the cricket,

—Grasshopper's rasp, and rustle of sheaf;